


in a far off place, we wouldn't need to justify everything we are

by annadavidson



Series: let us duel the stars (a mass effect dual au) [11]
Category: Mass Effect - All Media Types, Mass Effect: Andromeda
Genre: AU, Alternate Universe, Dual AU, Gen, LGBTQIA+ Characters Appreciation Week 2017, Mass Effect AU, Mass Effect Dual AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-19
Updated: 2017-09-19
Packaged: 2018-12-31 18:44:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,134
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12138741
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/annadavidson/pseuds/annadavidson
Summary: For some people, Andromeda was a new beginning.Summary: A new galaxy, a new home, and new people to meet along the way





	in a far off place, we wouldn't need to justify everything we are

For some people, Andromeda was a new beginning. For others, it was an adventure calling their names.

Ivory wasn’t sure what it was for her. She didn’t think she needed a new beginning – for her, her life before the Initiative hadn’t ended. Andromeda was merely a continuation. And she wasn’t the type to go looking for adventure. She’d always been able to find beauty and wonder in her day to day life. She’d never needed to look elsewhere… at least not that she’d ever admitted to herself.

True, she hadn’t left much on Earth. There wasn’t much she missed. If anything, perhaps she missed the predictability her life had once held. She’d never been one to look for adventure, to yearn for the unknown, but Andromeda was just that. It was an unknown adventure. Already things hadn’t gone as planned. Humanity’s Pathfinder, Alec Ryder, had passed away and now they were left with two brand new, shinning Pathfinders that probably weren’t used to getting their hands dirty.

She had nothing against Gabby and Julian. In fact, she fully supported them. She was surprised to have been assigned to their crew, their squad even. She was a powerful biotic but still hadn’t expected to be assigned to the Pathfinders. She looked forward to helping them pave a path for humanity in Andromeda, but there was much more to be done. A home couldn’t just be found. It had to be built from the foundation up. None of the planets they were scheduled to take a look at would become the new Earth, she was certain of it. But they didn’t  _have_  to be Earth in order to become  _home._

Ivory stood, all of that swirling around in her mind, on the Tempest, staring out the window at the stars that surrounded them. New stars and new constellations. She wondered if anyone was planning on coming up with and naming new constellations. She wondered if anyone would mind if she did. She wanted to get out a canvas, her brushes, and paint new constellations, come up with stories behind them that would be passed down from generation to generation. She liked the idea of leaving a legacy, her name written in the stars.

She heard footsteps and glanced over her shoulder to see Julian pausing after having entered the room. He wore a black long-sleeve Initiative shirt, black jeans, and black shoes with black headphones on his head. She thought it was safe to assume black was his favorite color. When he noticed her, he paused and pushed the headphones down so they rested around his neck. He stood there awkwardly as if not quite sure if she wanted him to leave or not.

Ivory smiled softly. “You must be Julian. My name is Ivory, I’ve been assigned to you and your sister’s squad.”

Recognition dawned on him and he quickly moved forward, extending a hand. “Oh – you’re Ivory Barnes! I uh – I read your file and it was very impressive. You helped a lot of people on Earth.”

He hadn’t been Pathfinder for long which made her surprised that he’d found time to read the whole file the Initiative had on her. He also still looked awkward in her opinion, even as she shook his hand, as if socializing wasn’t his strongest skill.

“I’m hoping to help a lot of people in Andromeda too,” she admitted with a small shrug.

“Is that why you came?” he asked her, head cocked to the side slightly. “If you don’t mind me asking.”

She hesitated. “Possibly? I’m… I’m not quite sure myself.”

He shrugged. “You don’t need to know, I guess. Not every action taken needs a reason. And the past doesn’t really matter. What matters is what we do now.”

She glanced back out the window, at the stars that brought the sky to life. Their colors, the way they shined, the sheer number of them – it made her think of a painting on a canvas. It made her miss painting. She’d left her paintings on Earth, bringing only the supplies she would need to create more. She thought the Tempest could use some art, some stars of its own to bring it to life.

“I want to paint the stars,” she found herself saying.

Julian had come to stand next to her, looking out at the stars with her. His eyes now fell on her, and though at first glance she thought he was meeting her gaze, she noticed he was looking right below her eyes. She didn’t think much about it, but rather she hoped he knew she didn’t mind. She’d heard people say that one of the Pathfinders was  _different._  She didn’t know what they’d meant by that and had often shut the conversation down, reminding the person that they should be respectful to both Pathfinders and whatever might set them apart from other people.

“You like to paint?” he asked and then, upon seeing her nod, added, “Did you know painting spans all human cultures, including that of pre-historic humans…?” He trailed and looked away. “Sorry, you probably already know that…”

She watched him, frowning faintly, confused as to why he was apologizing. “You don’t have to apologize. I’d known that, yeah, but it doesn’t hurt to be reminded.”

He didn’t look surprised, but his tone suggested he was.  _“Really?”_

She thought maybe people got annoyed with him, maybe that was why he’d shut down and apologized. If that was true, she didn’t think it was warranted. He seemed to have a good heart and just wanted to share what he knew.

She nodded, a smile on her face. “Yeah.”

Julian stood there, seemingly content, looking out at the stars with her. He hadn’t bothered to turn the music he’d been listening to off. She couldn’t name it, but she could faintly hear the beat from the headphones resting on his neck.

“I like your dress,” he said offhandedly, gesturing to the maxi dress she wore, striped with black, grey, white and purple. “Is it for Pride or do you just like the coloring?”

She smiled proudly. “Pride actually. I’m asexual.” She noticed a faint smile touch his lips.

“Andromeda could use some Pride,” he stated matter-of-factly, “And somebody’s got to start it.”

“Once things have calmed down, of course.”

He gave a small nod. “Of course. I miss Pride. My brother took me to Pride in San Francisco one time. It was really fun.”

“Do you want to start it in Andromeda?”

He looked over at her, again not quite meeting her eyes. “I’d need help. I don’t think I could do it on my own.”

Ivory grinned. “I’d love to help.”

Julian gave another nod, seeming happy with her response. “I think we’ll make a good team.”

“I think so too.”

**Author's Note:**

> Like/reblog on Tumblr [here](http://magicrobins.tumblr.com/post/165732656010/in-a-far-off-place-we-wouldnt-need-to-justify).


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